FRIENDS UNIVERSITY UPSETS WARRIORS IN WICHITA

Wichita, Kan. - In the KCAC, Wichita is always a difficult place to win on the road. That statement proved true on Saturday night as the Sterling College Warriors lost to the Friends University Falcons by a score of 67-76. Three point baskets and free throws were the determining factors in the game as Friends had a 12 point advantage from behind the three point arc and a seven point advantage from the foul line.

Sterling held the lead for much of the first half and built the lead to eight points at the 13:39 mark in the half. Friends would take over play for the next nine minutes and use physical defense and the offensive play of Reggie Britton to take the lead and build that lead to seven points with 4:18 remaining in the half. With the game about to get out of reach, Sterling would make a run and pull the game within two at half. The halftime score was 40-38 in favor of Friends.

During the second half, Sterling would tie the game on four different occasions, but would never get over the hump. The result of the game was up for grabs until John Bridges pushed a five point lead to an eight point lead for Friends with 0:48 remaining in the game. Sterling would fail to convert their next possession and Friends's Blake Wilson would make one free throw to bring the game to the final score of 76-67.

Friends had three scorers in double figures. Britton led all scorers with 27 points. Mike Hyde had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Blake Wilson scored 10 points.

Sterling also had three players in double figures. Cody Brazelton led the Warriors with 22 points, Zach Goodrich scored 18 points, and Trent Stutzman scored 13 points.

With the loss and Tabor College's 36-34 win over Bethel College, Sterling drops to second in the KCAC with a 10-4 conference record, 14-10 overall. On Thursday, the Warriors will host seventh place Kansas Wesleyan University in the Gleason Center at 8:00 pm.